Former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) is having difficulty in her gubernatorial campaign. She strongly urged now-former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) to withdraw after multiple reports of sexual misconduct and rape. Her efforts paid off—Swalwell not only stepped down from the race but also left public life. His career was essentially destroyed over a single weekend last month.
Did that make things easier for her in this crowded California governor's race? No. In fact, she’s barely reaching double digits in some polls. While for some in this state, the ‘D’ next to their name is enough to win most races. For an expensive statewide race, there’s no guarantee, especially with stronger Democratic competition and solid Republican candidates. Everyone has baggage: Tom Steyer is Mr. private prison, and Xavier Becerra was known to be a terrible HHS secretary under Joe Biden. Meanwhile, Porter is still grappling with questions of character and temperament.
Ms. Porter is accused of domestic abuse, with stories of pouring scalding hot potatoes on her ex-husband, yelling at staffers during interviews, and struggling to handle softball interviews. That infamous clip of her yelling at a staffer was, at least according to Ms. Porter, the result of Tom Steyer’s doing. It also doesn’t help that she often jumps to conclusions, because even she couldn’t say for sure. Instead, she offered a ‘people are saying’ line when pressed by CNN’s Dana Bash.
Katie Porter blames Tom Steyer for the leaked video of her abusing a staffer.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 11, 2026
BASH: "How do you know that?"
PORTER: "I am confident that is the case, I have been told by many people…" pic.twitter.com/Q6wd672Qfw
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And here's a trip down memory lane regarding this Porter circus:
Democrat California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter loses it during an interview, complains that she is being asked questions.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 8, 2025
Reporter: “What do you say to the 40% of CA voters who you'll need in order to win, who voted for Trump?”
Porter: "How would I need them in order… pic.twitter.com/3pdxMSacYQ
Absolutely unreal video of Katie Porter screaming at one of her staffers
— Sarah Gallagher (@sgallz_) October 8, 2025
“Get out of my f**king shot” pic.twitter.com/OB7yauns2b
Katie Porter would pour scalding-hot mashed potatoes on your head if you’re not careful. pic.twitter.com/aacJh4YBmR
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) October 8, 2025
Yeah, another brutal outing for her.
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